Singapore-MIT initiative develops wearable ultrasound for chronic disease monitoring
Patients with chronic conditions such as hypertension and heart failure could soon be monitored continuously outside hospital settings, as a new Singapore-led research initiative works toward wearable ultrasound imaging for home and community care. The effort aims to move healthcare away from episodic hospital visits toward earlier detection and ongoing monitoring through real-time clinical data.
The Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, has launched Wearable Imaging for Transforming Elderly Care, known as WITEC. The initiative is Singapore’s first research center dedicated to developing a wearable ultrasound imaging system capable of up to 48 hours of intermittent cardiovascular imaging. The technology is designed to support continuous and real-time monitoring of chronic conditions including hypertension and heart failure.
The multi-million-dollar, multi-year project is funded by the National Research Foundation Singapore under the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise program. It brings together researchers from MIT, Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore. Tan Tock Seng Hospital is the clinical collaborator and will lead patient trials to validate long-term heart imaging for chronic cardiovascular disease management.
WITEC’s laboratory is equipped with advanced precision tools, including Southeast Asia’s first Nanoscribe Quantum X sub-micrometer 3D printer and Singapore’s first Verasonics Vantage NXT 256 ultrasonic imaging system. The 3D printer enables fabrication at sub-micrometer resolution, allowing researchers to prototype bioadhesive materials and device interfaces at the scale of cells and tissue structures. This capability supports skin-safe adhesion and stable imaging quality over extended periods.
The ultrasonic imaging system provides expanded probe control and supports customized imaging methods, higher-resolution image capture and integration with AI-based diagnostic models. Together, these tools enable faster design, prototyping and testing of the wearable ultrasound system, including imaging validation on phantoms and healthy subjects.
The research addresses the growing burden of chronic disease in ageing populations, where existing consumer wearables provide limited physiological data and conventional ultrasound systems remain bulky, operator-dependent and confined to hospital use. WITEC aims to bridge this gap by developing a wearable ultrasound system that uses bioadhesive technology to support prolonged imaging, combined with AI-assisted diagnostics for early detection and continuous monitoring.
Beyond patient care, the technology could reduce pressure on healthcare manpower and hospital resources by shifting routine monitoring to homes and communities. This approach is intended to support patient self-management, timely clinical intervention and lower long-term healthcare costs.
WITEC is led by co-lead principal investigators from MIT, NTU and NUS with expertise spanning mechanical engineering, materials science, biomedical engineering, data science, AI diagnostics and clinical medicine. The research roadmap includes foundational work in soft materials, ultrasonic transducers, microelectronics and clinical validation, with potential applications across healthcare technology, manufacturing and AI-driven health analytics.
Clinical trials led by Tan Tock Seng Hospital are expected to begin in early 2026. Over the next three years, the team plans to develop a cart-based bioadhesive ultrasound system for continuous, real-time monitoring and personalized diagnosis, followed by a fully integrated portable platform capable of 48-hour intermittent imaging.
As MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, SMART said WITEC builds on its ongoing efforts to advance technologies addressing global challenges, adding wearable medical imaging to its portfolio of research in healthcare, AI and advanced sensing technologies.
Category: Technology & Devices
